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David Newton, ESPN Staff Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales didn’t hesitate Wednesday when asked whether Bryce Young still has a chance to be a franchise quarterback.
“Absolutely,” he said of Young, who was benched Monday after an 0-2 start to this season and 2-16 start to his pro career.
Canales also debunked any possibility the Panthers would consider trading the top pick of the 2023 draft, who has been replaced by 36-year-old Andy Dalton for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“That’s not something we’re really considering,” he said. “We have a great situation with our quarterbacks right now with guys that have experience.
“We love where we are at, and it’s all hands on deck.”
Carolina players also insisted they still believe in the 23-year-old Young.
“It’s definitely not over,” said running back Miles Sanders, who lost his starting job last season to Chuba Hubbard. “Definitely. He’s smart. He’s fast. He’s the first one in the building, the last one out. It’s definitely not over.
“This is his home, and he’s gonna get another shot.”
Veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who after Sunday’s 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers said he loved Young and would fight for him, agreed.
“I’m very excited for his future,” he said. “Just in the moment, watching him practice today, the throws he was making, his confidence. You know he can do this at a high level.
“Sometimes it’s not all that bad to just take a step back and breathe.”
Teammates also were adamant that Young’s size (5-foot-10, 204 pounds), which was scrutinized before the draft, hasn’t been a factor in his struggles. Young has three interceptions to no touchdowns in two games and a Total QBR of 9.1 that is among the worst ever over a two-game stretch.
“That’s been zero factor,” Thielen said of Young’s size. “That’s something that is just so overtalked about. He hasn’t been injured. There’s nothing you can say that like, ‘Oh, if he was 2 inches taller, this would be different.’ That’s just clickbait or a talking point.”
Young ran the scout team for the first time Wednesday while Dalton took first-team reps. Canales liked what he saw.
“Right back to work,” he said. “He dove into the game plan. We had our conversations in the QB room, talking about reads, about what we see from the defense. He followed it up with a great day on the field, some fantastic throws.
“He just got right back to work, which is exactly what I expected.”
Canales, however, sidestepped the question of whether the decision to bench Young the day after he insisted Young would start against the Raiders would destroy the quarterback’s confidence.
“My concern is the football team,” he said. “My concern is we push the whole group to achieve the standard of play, the standard of practice that we’re looking for. I wish I could answer it different, but that’s truly it.”
Young didn’t speak to the media Wednesday but plans to on Thursday. Sources close to the situation said that the former Heisman Trophy winner wasn’t happy about being benched but that they expected him to exhibit nothing but professionalism publicly.
Young’s record is the worst through 18 games of any quarterback selected with the top pick in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN Research. Behind him are Trevor Lawrence (2021, Jaguars), Troy Aikman (1989, Cowboys), Bert Jones (1973, Colts) and Jack Thompson (1979, Bengals) all at 3-15.
Aikman went on to become a three-time Super Bowl champion and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Canales didn’t make any predictions of greatness, but he did make it clear he hadn’t given up on Young.
“This is a developmental-minded program, so the development didn’t stop,” he said. “Every rep he’s out there, we’re evaluating the whole thing, having conversations and continuing to push all of our guys, including Bryce, to take the next step.”